State seeks resurgent scam suspect

The state attorney general and Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs are once again going after a man who allegedly continues to scam senior citizens out of thousands of dollars through his various financial companies.

The departments obtained Nov. 19 a preliminary injunction against Daniel Yoshio Doi (also known as Danny Doi) and his companies, American Legacy Group Legal Plan LLC, Financial Group Legal Plan Inc. and Legal Marketing Services of America LLC, the state agencies said Friday in a news release.

Doi is accused of offering to review peoples’ annuities or other investments, and then selling them expensive products that they didn’t need, the release stated. In some cases, Doi was not authorized to market such products, the release said.

In early 2010 the state fined Doi $50,000 and ordered him to pay back a total of nearly $140,000 to 23 victims of his company American Legacy Group Legal Plan LLC, and he was ordered to stop selling insurance products, said Brent Suyama, communications officer for DCCA.

Doi did stop conducting business for a while, but the latest enforcement action was taken when it became apparent that Doi had started up again, Suyama said, adding that the department knows of dozens of victims since the 2010 case. He has also failed to pay the restitution and fines.

"It’s very disappointing," Suyama said. "Even after he was told not to do things, he continued."

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office said the office is not aware of any criminal charges filed or being filed against Doi.

Also back in 2010, Suyama said, Doi tried to apply for a license under a different financial group name, and he was rejected and ordered to shut down that company. Then in July 2011, authorities revoked his personal license, along with the licenses for Estate Planners of America Inc. and Financial Insurance Inc. Suyama said Doi personally signed off on that revocation.

"These types of guys tend to be good talkers," Suyama said. "There might be a number of people who are out there who didn’t realize they’ve been victims, so that’s why we’re trying to get this out to the public."

Suyama said the case is being reviewed by the attorney general’s office and Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito to decide what action will be taken next.

Doi could not be reached for comment.

Consumers who suspect they have been victimized by deceptive marketing or sales of annuities, legal plans or insurance products may call the DCCA Insurance Division at 586-2790 to report the incident. For more information or to find out whether an insurance agent or entity is properly licensed, visit hawaii.gov/ dcca/areas/ins.